Mountain Biking Safety Guide
When you have beautiful trails and a world-class park like Mammoth Bike Park in your backyard like we do here in Mammoth Lakes, you want to mountain bike as much as you can before the snow falls.
You can’t mountain bike if you get hurt though, so the ASO Mammoth team has put together a quick guide to mountain biking safety below. Read all about it to see what to wear and how much protection you need, then visit Mammoth Lakes to enjoy miles of incredible mountain biking trails. Once here, don’t forget to visit ASO Mammoth for the best mountain bike rentals and outdoor gear in Mammoth Lakes!
Wear a Helmet
No matter how experienced you are or how hard you plan on riding, you should always wear a helmet while mountain biking. However, the type of riding you’re doing may determine what kind of helmet you wear.
For example, a cross-country helmet will have more ventilation so you can stay cool while pushing up-hill or along long stretches of flat trail. On the other hand, a downhill or park helmet is more likely to have complete coverage with a faceguard in case of hard falls.
Remember, you should always wear a helmet. If you don’t know what type of helmet to wear then there are all-mountain helmets that should give you coverage no matter what you’re doing.
Wear at Least Some Mountain Bike Padding
When you combine downhill riding with obstacles like rocks and trees, you can see the need for padding while mountain biking. Fortunately, you can find padding for your hands, knees, and everything in between.
There are knee pads, shorts that come with removable pads, torso padding, elbow pads, and padded gloves that will make falls easier on your body. However, if you wear all of them at once then you may be uncomfortable on your bike.
The more extreme mountain biking you do, the more padding you need. That’s not to say that beginner mountain bikers shouldn’t wear padding since they’re likely to fall too, but don’t assume that you need to be padded from head to toe as soon as you get on a mountain bike. If you wear too much padding then you’ll end up hot and uncomfortable while biking.
Start with a helmet, and then build your padding out based on your experience and the trail you’re riding. If you’re new to mountain biking, then you should lean towards being safe rather than being sorry. Ask someone who knows the trail you’re riding on for their recommendation on how much padding you need if you’re unsure.
Drink Water Before and During Your Ride
Water is just as important to being safe while mountain biking as anything else. If you’re biking in the heat and elevation of Mammoth Lakes, then you’ll quickly exhaust yourself if you don’t drink water early and often. Make sure you either have easy access to water or are carrying enough water to get you through the day while mountain biking!